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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28199991">Kissing Santa Claus</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ESawyer/pseuds/ESawyer'>ESawyer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Most Wonderful Time of the Year [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Book of Mormon - Ambiguous Fandom, The Book of Mormon - Parker/Stone/Lopez</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>12daysofBOM, Connor is a first grade teacher because that feels right, Implied Sexual Content, Kevin is...Kevin, Light Angst, M/M, dumbass kevin strikes again, he is just.........Kevin, it'll make sense when you read it dont ask me to explain myself, like what more do you want me to say, mainly fluffy, they dont DO anything but they sorta talk about it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:21:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,116</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28199991</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ESawyer/pseuds/ESawyer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
      <p>Hellooo!! </p>
<p>This is day 7 of 12 Days of BOM - 'Why are you dressed like Santa?' </p>
<p>This is a sequel to 'The Most Wonderful Time of the Year' so you might wanna read that first but you'll probably still understand this story without it</p>
    </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elder "Connor" McKinley/Kevin Price</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Most Wonderful Time of the Year [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1922602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>12 Days of Book of Mormon (2020)</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Kissing Santa Claus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hellooo!! </p>
<p>This is day 7 of 12 Days of BOM - 'Why are you dressed like Santa?' </p>
<p>This is a sequel to 'The Most Wonderful Time of the Year' so you might wanna read that first but you'll probably still understand this story without it</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sometimes (most of the time), Kevin couldn’t understand what Connor saw in him, even after almost a year of them being together. His legs were too long for the rest of the body, his nose was ever so slightly off centre, he spent the large majority of his life worrying about lonely people and was very, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad when it came to anything sexual. So bad, in fact, they hadn’t tried </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Whenever Connor dropped his voice into that husky tone and batted his eyelashes a few times, Kevin would stumble over his words and, on one memorable occasion, actually stumbled and fell to the ground. Connor had just laughed, picked him up off the floor and they very innocently cuddled on the sofa for the rest of the night. But Kevin was </span>
  <em>
    <span>bored </span>
  </em>
  <span>of innocent, he was just scared of whatever the opposite was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Occasionally, he would try and bring it up to Connor, but would end up messing it up in a way that only he could. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One time, they were at Connor’s apartment with nowhere to be. So Kevin had scooted over to his boyfriend and looked at him in what he hoped for was a sensual way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Connor asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just thought that it would be nice if we...if we...uh...” Kevin cleared his throat, meaning to say, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>it would be nice if we took this to your bedroom,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>but instead said, “it would be nice if we went to that aquarium,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor had frowned at him for a moment and nodded, “Sounds good! I’ll book the tickets. You’re off work Friday, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The second time, they’d been at a bar and the couple next to them were making out so ferociously that Kevin decided </span>
  <em>
    <span>they </span>
  </em>
  <span>should be doing that too. He downed his brightly coloured cocktail - that was far too sweet to be healthy - and turned to Connor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Con,” he said, too drunk to even realise that he was slurring his words, “I have an idea!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do!” Kevin exclaimed with a slight hiccup, “I think we should - I think we should - oh god,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think we should - Jesus Christ!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A hiccup turned out not to be a hiccup at all, but a great load of vomit that ended up all over Connor’s lap. Kevin had never been so mortified in his life and burst into tears. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, it’s OK,” Connor had said, “we can just - we can just go home, OK?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>god. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I puked on you! Why did I puke on you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re drunk, it’s OK. Come on. Let’s get you home,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After this particular incident, Kevin decided that he’d never drink funny cocktails again and maybe just give up on the whole sex thing. If they were ever going to have sex, it would just happen - he wasn’t going to force it. He was just </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>impatient and Connor was so damn attractive, Kevin thought that it was a little bit unfair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So unfair, in fact, that he never liked to post pictures of the two of them on Facebook. It wasn’t out of embarrassment that Connor was also a man, but out of embarrassment that he’d look so...</span>
  <em>
    <span>unattractive </span>
  </em>
  <span>next to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The day Connor finally asked why he never posted pictures of the two of them, they were having a dinner date at his apartment and he had almost spilled pasta all down himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I, uh...I don’t know. I just don’t,” Kevin muttered, pushing his food around his plate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor frowned, “Are you...are you embarrassed of me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Kevin said quickly, “No, not at all!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Internalised homophobia is perfectly normal for-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not - no! I got over all that ages ago,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So why don’t you-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I’m embarrassed of myself, alright?” Kevin snapped, pushing his plate away from him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Connor asked, “What do you mean you're embarrassed of yourself?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin felt his cheeks heat up, “I mean because you’re so...</span>
  <em>
    <span>you know</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and I’m like...not so...</span>
  <em>
    <span>you know</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I literally have no clue what you just said to me,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin clenched his jaw and ran a hand through his hair, “I’m punching above my weight a bit, that’s all,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor raised his eyebrows at his, “You think...you think you’re punching above your weight? By going out with me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kevin, you literally got scouted by a </span>
  <em>
    <span>modelling agency</span>
  </em>
  <span> when we were out last week!” Connor scoffed, “If anyone’s punching above their weight, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But - your eyelashes!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s adorable that you love my eyelashes so much, but I really don’t think that they make me more attractive than you,” Connor laughed, “like I said </span>
  <em>
    <span>modelling agency</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin looked away from him and sighed. Connor reached across the table and grabbed his hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry for bringing it up, babe. I didn’t know you felt like that. But I think you’re very handsome,” he said softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not - it’s not your fault,” Kevin muttered, still staring at the pasta, “I - Jake. It’s Jake, he’s - I know I shouldn’t talk about - I’m with you but he was - well, he wasn’t very complimentary or sweet or - or caring so I...I don’t know, I assume you don’t like me that much...” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, no because I love you,” </span>
</p>
<p><span>It wasn’t the first time they had ever said it, (Kevin had said it drunkenly one night and didn’t even remember the following morning) but he had still not gotten used to the way that Connor said it so liberally. He never left either of their apartments without shouting it to him, never even went to the kitchen</span> <span>without whispering it in his ear. Every morning they were together, Kevin was awoken with a sleepy </span><em><span>good morning, I love you</span></em><span> in his ear and on the days that they weren’t together, would get a text or a voice note reminding him that he loved him. Every time, he felt like he was hearing it for the first time. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>“Kevin?” Connor said quietly, squeezing his hands, “It’s not just that, is it? There’s more,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin wasn’t entirely sure how this led to him breaking down his sobs and telling Connor </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He told him how he had always known he was gay growing up, but chose to ignore it. How Jake had been his District Leader and how they had fallen in what Kevin had thought was love in Uganda, but had ended up being something entirely different all together - and he still wasn’t sure exactly what it was. He told him about the General and how Arnold had been the only one who was there for him and how he still couldn’t understand how </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>hadn’t been a red flag from the beginning. He told him about how Jake always seemed more interested in sex than anything else even though he frequently told Kevin that he wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>attracted to him, anyway and that’s where his fear of intimacy had come from. And how he </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>wanted to be intimate together, he just wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And, I mean, I’m just a bundle of issues! Just issue after issue after issue!” Kevin sobbed into his hands, “I found out Jake was cheating on me when I walked into the bedroom and I saw him screwing someone who wasn’t me! And he said-” his voice broke, “before he saw me, he said - he told this guy he </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved </span>
  </em>
  <span>him! Do you know how many times he said that to me? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Once</span>
  </em>
  <span>! And I am over him, I swear, but I still think - sometimes I think-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That I’m going to do the same?” Connor asked quietly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that’s why I can’t - I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>do it. Not - Not yet,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor smiled at him and reached over to brush the hair out of his eyes, “That’s OK. You’ve been through a lot, Kev. I don’t expect anything from you,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Please, </span>
  </em>
  <span>we’ve been together a year and not even had sex yet!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s OK,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It isn’t! It’s not normal! I’m twenty seven! I should be able to have sex with my boyfriend!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kevin, stop. You’re just working yourself up more, love,” Connor said softly, “It </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>normal. We don’t have to have sex, you know,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you’d like to, wouldn’t you?” Kevin persisted, “I know you would because sometimes you get hard when we’re making out and sometimes </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>get hard when we’re making out but then I stop because I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor’s cheeks flushed, “Of course I’d like to have sex with you but I don’t want to unless </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>do. We’re not doing anything until you’re ready, OK?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin’s bottom lip began to tremble before he burst into tears again. Connor sighed and walked around to his side of the table. He paused for a moment before hesitantly perching on Kevin’s lap, slowly putting his arms around him and pulling him into his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Kevin sobbed, “I’m sorry. All I ever wanted was for Jake to say that to me,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt Connor tense up slightly, “What - What do you mean?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Our first time, it was - it was so soon after - after the General,” Kevin mumbled into Connor’s chest, “I wasn’t really ready but he - he </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>wanted to and I didn’t...I didn’t want to upset him.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did he know?” Connor asked, “about what happened with-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I never told him,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Never</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re one of four people who know,” Kevin said, “Gotswanna - he was the Doctor - Arnold, Nabulungi and you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus, Kev,” Connor breathed, wrapping his arms around him tighter, “We really don’t have to do anything. I want you to be one hundred percent ready, OK? I don’t want - I don’t want to do </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> unless you do,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Kevin whispered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What for?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin frowned, “I don’t - I don’t know,” </span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Despite feeling like the worlds (not sex having) boyfriend, Kevin was determined to make their second Christmas and first anniversary together a good one. Preferably one where he didn’t have a panic attack when Connor flirted with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He just wished that he could give him </span>
  <em>
    <span>more </span>
  </em>
  <span>than an evening in a community centre. Connor had assured him that he couldn’t think of anywhere better to be than the place where they had first met, but Kevin had a feeling that he might have preferred it if they were in bed together and doing something a little more than just cuddling. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everything about their relationship made Kevin feel warm and fuzzy in a way that he never felt warm and fuzzy before. Connor was intelligent and funny and a</span>
  <em>
    <span> first grade teacher </span>
  </em>
  <span>and there was nothing Kevin loved more than hearing him talk about his students who he called his ‘friends’. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hid his smile behind his hand as he watched him write Christmas cards for his students. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop staring,” Connor mumbled, “You need to write the email and the physical invitations. And then you need to drive to the Post Office,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve done them!” Kevin exclaimed, despite the fact that he had gotten as far as writing the letter ‘M’ on his word document. He wasn’t entirely sure what he had been meaning to write. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me see,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-No! It’s a surprise!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor looked up at him and sighed, “I teach five year olds and they’re better liars than you,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin stuck his tongue out at him and slammed his laptop shut, “It’s not as fun without Arnold. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Whyyy </span>
  </em>
  <span>did he have to spend all of December in Uganda?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because his fiancé is from there?” Connor said, “You know you’re not the only person in his life?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re married,” Kevin reminded him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sometimes I genuinely think you forget it’s a fake marriage,” Connor sighed, sealing his final envelope, “Oh, by the way, I need a favour,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin tensed. The last time Connor had asked him for a favour, he had ended up dressed as the Easter Bunny for a classroom full of children. </span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>“Why are you dressed like Santa?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin scowled at Arnold’s grainy face as he shoved a pillow up his jumper to make himself look like the old man who ate too many cookies that he was meant to be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Connor asked me to do it for his class,” Kevin muttered, scrunching one of his t-shirts up and shoving it up as well, “And I’m off work so I didn’t have a choice...do I look fat enough?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold shrugged, “I guess,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin scowled at him again and turned to the side, staring at himself in the mirror, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I guess, </span>
  </em>
  <span>isn’t good enough. I don’t want to be the reason that these kids stop believing in Santa! I need to really look like him!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As long as you put a beard on and say ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’ enough, they’ll never know,” Arnold said, “Do you know their names? If you don’t know their names it’ll ruin the illusion, Santa knows everyone, doesn’t he?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Connor taught me them last night,” Kevin sighed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sexy,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha, ha,” Kevin said sarcastically, “It’s not like we do anything sexy, anyway. Just a lot of making out and cuddling. Which I </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I just - I just wish that the making out lead to something...more,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>ready</span>
  </em>
  <span> for something more?” Arnold asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin sat down on his bed and shrugged, “I don’t know. I think so. I just - maybe the reason Connor’s never pushed for it is because he isn’t attracted to me in that way,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jeez, Kev, I think the reason he’s never pushed for it is because he’s a decent human,” Arnold said with a laugh, “Have you spoken to him about it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. And he said that it’s okay and he doesn’t want to do anything until I’m ready, but I - I...” Kevin trailed off and blushed, “I’m convinced he’s going to break up with me once Christmas is over. I think he’s too nice to do it before,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite the terrible video quality thanks to the distance they were Facetiming from, Kevin could see Arnold’s eyes bulge and his mouth drop open. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t - I don’t think he is!” he exclaimed, “Why do you - Why do you think that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin shrugged, “I dunno. He’s been acting weird, I guess and-” he froze, “Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Don’t - Don’t tell me - has he talked to you about something? Please don’t tell me he’s thinking about proposing! I’m really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>not ready for that, Arn!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold said something about Nabulungi calling and quickly hung up. Kevin found himself praying that he wasn’t going to be proposed to on Christmas day. </span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The drive over to Connor’s school was excruciating, and not just because the seatbelt wouldn’t sit right over his fake belly. The sensible part of his brain was telling him that Connor wasn’t going to propose to him whilst he was dressed as Santa and in a class full of six year olds, but he couldn’t help but think that he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely </span>
  </em>
  <span>going to do that and then he would have to awkwardly decline. Or maybe he wouldn’t decline. Maybe he would say yes before he was ready and just have to deal with that decision for the rest of his life. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully, the kids' excitement at seeing Santa, his own love for Christmas and the fact that Connor wouldn't stop smiling was enough to keep him distracted from his (possible) impending proposal. It was only when the last kid -Ryan, who had asked for a dragon - had leapt off his lap that Kevin began panicking again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, friends!” Connor said, clapping his hands together, “It’s time for recess but we also need to say bye to Santa or he’ll never get all your presents ready for Christmas, will he? Say bye bye and line up by the wall!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin waved and threw in a few ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’s!’ as the kids ran out to recess. When they were gone, Connor let out a sigh of relief and shut the door behind him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look cute, Santa,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin scrunched his nose up, “Please don’t flirt with me when I’m dressed like Santa,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor laughed and pulled his beard down to kiss him softly, “You do look cute though,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop,” Kevin mumbled, yanking his beard back up in the hopes that it would hide his blush. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor giggled again and pressed a kiss to his cheek, “I’ll see you at yours ton - what’s wrong?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing,” Kevin said quickly, “Why?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor narrowed his eyes at him, “Kevin. You’re terrible at lying,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t want to get married,” Kevin blurted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gasped and clapped a hand over his mouth. If Connor wasn’t going to break up with him before. He definitely was going to now. He frowned at him and then opened his mouth as though he was going to say something before he closed it again. Kevin bit his lip and reached out to grab Connor’s hand, as though that would make him seem like less of a dick. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor still didn’t say anything, just stared at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t - I didn’t mean it like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Like I don’t - I don’t want to get married to </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> because if I had to get married to anyone, I’d like it to be you but just - just not yet. I’m not ready for that yet. I love you and I want us forever but I - not yet,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why are you telling me this?” Connor asked with a giggle, “I don’t want to get married yet either,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin blinked at him, “Oh. Right. Okay. Good. I just...um, I thought that - I thought that you should know,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You thought that I should - for fucks sake,” he groaned, “Does Arnold Cunningham know how to keep his mouth shut?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, that’s why he created a religion that one time,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor laughed and squeezed his hand, “Did he tell you what my present for you is?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin shook his head, “He hung up before he blabbed,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor let out a sigh of relief, “Good. I don’t want the surprise ruined,” he paused and looked down at his watch, “Wanna make out in the store cupboard before recess is over?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure,” </span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The knowledge that he wasn’t going to be proposed to on Christmas Day did wonders for Kevin’s anxiety. He could actually relax and looked forward to his Christmas party whilst pestering Connor to tell him what his gift actually was. Annoyingly, Connor was able to keep his mouth shut and managed to shut his pestering up with a very stern ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>shh!</span>
  </em>
  <span>’. Kevin supposed it was a skill borne from being an elementary school teacher but tried not to think about the fact that he was able to be shut up in the same way a five year old was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The only problem was that Connor still didn’t give him </span>
  <em>
    <span>the </span>
  </em>
  <span>gift on Christmas morning. It didn’t matter how often he pouted at him or gave him the best puppy dog eyes he could muster,  Connor would simply kiss his cheek and tell him that he wasn’t giving him anything until later that night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He did, however, give him their matching (ugly) Christmas jumpers though, and Kevin couldn’t really complain. They were green, covered in golden tinsel and </span>
  <em>
    <span>lit up </span>
  </em>
  <span>when you pressed a button at the back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn't be mad if this was the gift,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor laughed as he picked up a box to load into the car, “I like to think it’s a better gift than an ugly jumper,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin shrugged, “I’m very easily pleased,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s why you’ve been going out with me for a year,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the party was in full swing and Kevin was making sure that everyone was having the time of their lives, he almost forgot about Connor and his mysterious gift. It was only when he sat down with Mrs. Fredericks that he remembered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure </span>
  </em>
  <span>he’s not proposing to you?” she asked after he had lamented the fact that Connor </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>hadn’t given it to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Absolutely,” Kevin said confidently, “because I told him that I’m not ready to get married and he said that he wasn’t either,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did he not just say that because you said it first?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Kevin said, “No, because he spoke to Arnold about it and he would have told him not to ask yet,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, when you do get married. I expect an invite. I was the reason you spoke to him in the first place,” </span>
</p>
<p><span>Before Kevin could assure her that he would</span> <span>absolutely invite her to his theoretic wedding, Connor called him from the other side of the room, pointing</span></p>
<p>
  <span>outside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go and get engaged then, dear,” Mrs Fredericks said lightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>getting engaged!” Kevin exclaimed as he got to his feet, though he was beginning to worry that perhaps he was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor was standing in the exact place that he had been when they had had their first kiss, mistletoe and all. Kevin smiled at the memory; how he had been admiring Connor from afar all night and how he had really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>wanted to kiss him but had seized up as soon as Connor’s lips were on his and had accidentally forced Connor to suffer through what had probably been the worst kiss of his life. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi,” Connor said quietly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi,” Kevin said, eyes flickering up to the mistletoe, “I won’t be so awkward this time,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait-” Connor said, putting his hand on his chest, “Before we - Before we do that. I - I want to ask you something. It’s - It’s your gift,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin nodded slowly, “Okay...” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor’s hand shook as he dipped it into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Kevin took a step back from him, the ‘no’ almost out of his mouth when Connor quickly put a finger over his lips to shut him up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not proposing,” he said hurriedly, pressing the box into his hand, “not marriage, anyway. Just open it. Please?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin frowned at him before looking down at the box but not moving to open it. It was only after Connor whispered </span>
  <em>
    <span>please </span>
  </em>
  <span>again that Kevin flipped the lid open. His frown only deepened; it was a silver key. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look at the keyring,” Connor said, “it, uh - it makes sense then,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Frown deepening still, Kevin picked up the key and looked closer at the keyring that was hanging from it. Etched onto the metal was a message that made Kevin gasp and almost drop it to the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I love you so much, and I hate waking up on my own. Move in with me? </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"S-Seriously?” Kevin asked, looking up at him, “You want me to - You want me to move in with you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor nodded, “Yes. I - I really want you to, Kev. Will you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, yes,<em> yes!</em>” Kevin exclaimed, throwing his arms around him, “Yes. I’ll move in with you,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor laughed and wrapped his arms around him, kissing his cheek and whispering how much he loved him in his ear. Kevin let out a tiny sob and whispered it back, content to stand there in the freezing cold for the rest of the night. Connor pulled back ever so slightly to kiss him, and Kevin realised that he didn’t just love him. He was </span>
  <em>
    <span>in love </span>
  </em>
  <span>with him, completely and utterly and embarrassingly </span>
  <em>
    <span>in love. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin broke the kiss, staring into eyes that were ever so slightly teary and so full of love and willing to give him </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And Kevin was willing to give him everything, too. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I, um - do we have any plans for when this is over?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, no. I don’t...I don’t think. You said you wanted to get takeout and watch a movie until we pass out,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin swallowed, forcing himself to keep eye contact with Connor, “I think that, um...maybe we could home and go to - go to bed,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. Are you tired?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-No!” Kevin exclaimed, “I mean like...go to </span>
  <em>
    <span>bed</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still don’t know what you-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin groaned, “I want to have sex, Connor!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor’s eyes widened, his grip tightening on Kevin’s waist, “You - You want to...</span>
  <em>
    <span>wow, </span>
  </em>
  <span>okay. I wasn’t expecting - okay...right, </span>
  <em>
    <span>okay</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Are you - Are you sure?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Completely sure?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes!” Kevin exclaimed before paling, “Why? Do you - do you not want to?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no, of course I do! I want to make sure that you do,” Connor said gently, bringing a hand up to cradle his face, “You’re not doing this because you feel like you have to?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Kevin said earnestly, “No, I - I really want to have sex with you. I’m ready. I swear,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Connor beamed and leaned in to kiss him softly, “Okay, we can - yeah. Forget the takeout,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kevin really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>loved Christmas. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading!!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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